I spend some of the weekend with one of the young women I am currently supporting (a commitment which fills my life with meaning and brings me endless rewards).
We go to a cafe which sells vintage clothes and very nice handmade cards, and order tea and toast.
I recently heard someone wise describe these very special relationships as 'friendships with a purpose'. And this seems like a perfect description to me.
It's not all intense soul-searching - a lot of the time we just chat and laugh. But there is, of course, always a purpose and the purpose is healing. So when I suddenly hear her say 'I have never told anyone this before', I inwardly hold my breath because I know that her healing has begun.
Many young women have confided in me, just as I confided in others all those years ago, just as I would still confide if something dark, or shameful, or dangerous entered my life. These confidences are things I would never repeat to another living being, and to be honest I mainly try and forget about them. Because the content of what is shared isn't really that important.
What's important is the decision to trust. The decision to drag ugly secrets out into the light of day. The decision to move forward, untrammelled by the past.
It's the best decision I ever made.
I am so happy my young friend has started to move in the same direction.
No comments:
Post a Comment